It’s easy and completely natural to get caught up in the habit; in the intense moments of pleasure, and fun social aspects, feeling relaxed, invincible, and at one with yourself; never mind about the nagging concerns that surface quickly enough when reality dawns.

The holes that seem to be developing in your memory, the difficulties in concentrating for very long, the ‘can’t be bothered’ person that has taken over your non-weed using personality, (often referred to as ‘weed fog’), and how these things and more are changing your relationships, holding you back, sometimes even making you doubt your sanity.

Is this brain damage?

Using weed changes your brain chemistry, and definitely has a negative effect on how certain parts of it work. This may not exactly be brain damage in the popular sense, but after quitting weed there is a clear need for the brain to heal and rewire, a process known as neural plasticity. In longer term and heavy weed users it may not be possible to reverse all damage done, but some areas at least will be measurably improved.

All sections of the brain need you to take a decent amount of exercise, get enough sleep, and eat good, vitamin rich, healthy food to help it recover properly, so those should be taken as a given. However, there are also things you can do to help heal and rewire sections of the brain responsible for specific parts of brain health, which we look at here.

Fixing a bad memory

Setting up a regular brain exercise routine is the key to improving memory. There are lots of games you can play online, or download to a device for instant play anywhere at any time. Special brain exercises designed by experts are also available, and these should be done at least once a day.

Dealing with poor concentration

Initially it’s best to work with the attention span you currently have, but make the time spent focused on a task productive. Use timers to mark the boundaries of when to start and stop – they can be altered gradually as things improve, and make sure there are as few distractions around as possible.

Beat the apathy and lack of focus

Find a system that works for you where bite size achievements can be easily recognized and rewarded. Some people find writing individual tasks on stickies which are stuck to a wall or desk – to be removed crossed through when completed, others prefer to write lists in a notebook or create priority task charts so urgent jobs are not overlooked. The same principle can be used to fire up motivation – identifying personal goals and a possible time frame to achieve them.

It’s great to know that in many cases the human brain can heal itself after being impacted by drugs like weed, but it’s also important to acknowledge that the sooner someone either cuts right down or quits using weed the more chance they have of enjoying 100% brain function in the future.